Grace Notes: Jay Tholen, Mount Eerie

Last updated on: September 24, 2011 at 8:42 pm by Jason Morehead

Grace Notes: Jay Tholen, Mount Eerie 2011-09-24T20:42:36-06:00 Jason Morehead

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Grace Notes is a weekly exploration by Jason Morehead of signs of common grace in the music world. We hope to alert you to wonderful music, some of which will be spiritual in nature but all of which will be unique and worthy of your attention. Each week we will share brief reviews of albums worthy of your attention and maybe a video or two.

Jay Tholen

I reviewed Jay Tholen’s Mud Pies or Bread and Wine? several weeks ago, but Tholen’s been a busy little bee in 2011. He’s already released a new EP, titled Vainglory, and it’s yet another trip through his madcap brand of “Christ-centered chip-wave”. Vainglory picks up where Mud Pies or Bread and Wine left off — in fact, it even features an extended version of the previous release’s “At All”, complete with “extra meaninglessness”. Chiptune music may be some good, cheesy fun, but it often strikes me as rather disposable, focused more on capturing some sort of 8-bit nostalgia than much else. Tholen’s take on chiptune, on the other hand, succeeds more often than not because, for all of its weirdness and quirkiness, there’s an earnestness and worshipfulness at work in these songs about human hubris and Christ’s crucifixion that proves compelling. And which makes those 8-bit bloops and bleeps all the richer.

Mount Eerie

Wind’s Poem was released in 2009 but I’ve been revisiting it in light of an upcoming Mount Eerie concert in my town. Described as Phil Elverum’s “black metal” album, that’s a bit of a misnomer, the cacophonous opening track notwithstanding: Elverum’s quiet voice, fragile arrangements, and lyrical themes prove far more ominous than any growling vocal or blast beat. Make no mistake, Wind’s Poem is an unsettling album, as Elverum contemplates isolation, the fleeting nature of existence, and man’s smallness in the face of nature (sample lyrics: “Now the wind speaks in the branches, now the wind speaks, saying: ‘Hold on to something and watch it go. Everything you love will end up on the breeze.'”). But Wind’s Poem is also a deeply evocative and moving album that, due to it’s focus on the mysteries and vagaries of existence, sometimes crosses the thin line from dread to transcendence. On the Twins Peak-inspired “Between Two Mysteries”, Elverum sings a simple statement of existence in the face of nothingness, a celebration of mystery and a rejection of nihilism that gets me every time. Wind’s Poem isn’t for the faint-hearted — it’s certainly not an album that I can listen to on a regular basis — but brave souls may find Elverum’s journey to oblivion and back a compelling listen.

Previous Post

September 23, 2011

Elsewhere: Netflix is Sorryish, Elevation starts a Conversation, PETA and Porn, and Seinfeld the Oracle of Facebook

Next Post

September 26, 2011 Scientific Advance, Art, and Horsing Around With Humanity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz